Pages

Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Attention citizens of New York and the tri-state area! Timothy Agoglia Carey is coming to the Anthology Film Archives in lower Manhattan from October 15 to October 25, 2010. As readers of Cashiers du Cinemart/this blog know, I'm a huge Timothy Carey fan and would be at this kind of event in a heartbeat even if I've seen everything they're showing before. Anthology has a great line-up of flicks including Carey's opus World's Greatest Sinner and the mind-blowing Tweet's Ladies of Pasadena (for my review of it and Making Sinnerclick here).

There isn't a dud amongst the flicks they're showing but I have to recommend World's Greatest Sinner, Paths of Glory, One-Eyed Jacks, and The Outfit (see Robert Duvall playing Richard Stark's Parker character). I wish that AFF had managed to secure Head, Finger Man and The Killing as those are three of my favorite Carey flicks but nothing gets better than World's Greatest Sinner. It will blow your mind.

Here's the schedule:

THE KILLING OF A CHINESE BOOKIE (John Cassavetes)Oct 15 at 7:00 PMOct 17 at 9:00 PMOct 20 at 7:00 PM

Tuesday, September 28, 2010

Despite my better efforts, I've not gotten a whole lot of response and support for my upcoming event in Cleveland, OH (with the big exception of the Cleveland Movie Blog). I will be at Visible Voice Books at 7PM on Saturday, October 2, 2010.

So far I know of exactly one person that's going to be at Visible Voice besides me. If no one else shows up, at least I know I'll have fun chewing the fat with author Wred Fright.

During the day I'll be at Cinema Wasteland. Not as a presenter or dealer but as an attendee. I'm hoping to give Herschell Gordon Lewis his copy of Impossibly Funky since he was kind enough to pen the introduction for me.

If folks attending Cinema Wasteland are interested in coming by Visible Voice in the evening, here's a map from one location to the other (approximately a 22 minute drive):

I recently read over at Cinebeats about a project Edward Copeland is doing on his blog; collecting recollections of The Rocky Horror Picture Show to celebrate it's 35th anniversary.

I find this a bit coincidental since I just spent my Saturday night at a drive-in in Indiana enjoying Rocky with Justin Bozung and Rich Osmond. Like me, Justin had spent many a late night enjoying Rocky while Rich had never experienced before (virgin!). Certainly, this wasn't the full experience of Rocky Horror as no one had dressed up (to stand out in the frigid air) and props weren't too effective either. Instead of the entire theater shouting out things, Justin and I sat in the front seat interacting with the screen while Rich tried his best to see what was going on from the back. It wasn't an optimal experience.

It'd been years since the last time I caught Rocky in any kind of public venue. When I was in high school marching band it was something of a rite of passage to make the trek to the Fairlane Mall for the midnight showing of The Rocky Horror Picture Show. Fairlane also showed a few other midnight films (Pink Floyd's The Wall) but I only was interested in Rocky at that time. I was probably a Freshman the first time I went up to see the show, taken along for the ride by the Juniors and Seniors from band.

Before the start of the show Fairlane had a short pre-show clip they'd play. It consisted of scenes from other movies (previews, no doubt) and a warning from Detroit celebrity Dick the Bruiser about etiquette in the theater. I vaguely remember people dressing up like characters from the movie but I definitely recall folks interacting with the screen. "Pushing" the picture up as the camera tilted down from the steeple to the wedding scene below, folks "fucking" Charles Gray's chin divot, getting dealt in to Frank's "cards for sorrow" and so on.

After my first few Rocky experiences I tried to become an evangelist. I dragged many a non-band member to weekend screenings. I wish I could say that they turned around and did the same but I think I was the only one who really got into the film and the interactions.

After graduation I went up to school in Ann Arbor and was thrilled to find that Rocky played at the mall there (Briarwood Mall), too. I attended one screening, only to find that the experience wasn't nearly as fun as what I was used to. The timing of the lines was off, the profanity level went beyond bad taste, and--worst of all--the print didn't have "Superheroes". After that first time, I never went back. I think that was the last time I saw Rocky projected until last Saturday.

While I forgot far more lines than I remembered, it was great to go back and forth between Justin and I. That we were both saying many of the same things, unrehearsed, definitely bolstered a sense of camaraderie. Despite growing up in different cities, most of the lines we said were the same (though I threw in a few more Detroit jokes like, "I want to go the distance"...I want to fuck the Pistons or when the audience usually says, "Meatloaf, again?" a good Detroiter adds Whatever happened to 'hamburger au ketchup'? from the old Highland Appliance commercial).

I still wonder if the release of Rocky on VHS was the death knell of midnight movies or if it was the result of that demise. Watching it on VHS/DVD for the last few decades just doesn't quite satisfy me the way that a theatrical experience--even a bad one--could ever do. That sense of community just doesn't come through on a television set. Even isolated in cars the drive-in gave me more of a sense of that old feeling. I can only hope that Rocky rides again...

Monday, September 27, 2010

About a half hour south of Indianapolis rests the sleepy town of Franklin, IN. This town hides a secret. Behind its idyllic facade creep monsters, dastardly villains, killer robots, and other things that go bump in the night: they're just all part of the fun for participants at the annual B-Movie Celebration.

Running from September 24-26, 2010, the B-Movie Celebration is the brainchild of Bill Dever -- a fan-turned-filmmaker who unveiled his latest production, Monster Cruise on the fest's opening night. Monster Cruise was one of two films directed by Jim Wynorski who was also part of the festival as the subject of Popatopolis, a great gonzo documentary.

My second trip to the B-Movie Celebration (I also attended in 2008), I met up again with Cashiers du Cinemart contributor Rich Osmond for a weekend of movies and hanging out. This time we were accompanied by Justin Bozung of Mondo Video and Jason Payne of Gut Munchers. Also making a special cameo appearance was Richard Edwards of Out of the Past. Along with watching movies, Edwards, Payne, Bozung and I took part of the "State of Indie Film Criticism" panel on Saturday afternoon where we gave a gut (munch) check of how things are in the world for folks writing and talking about film from a diverse range of viewpoints.

Our panel went pretty well with maybe a dozen people in attendance at the Franklin City Hall where we took over the city council's chambers. This unusual setting was the scene for the "B-Movie Classroom" and entertained discussions of being a "Scream Queen" by Jessica Cameron as well as a director's roundtable with Jim O'Rear and Mark Burchett.

Along with the historic Aircraft Theater, this year the B-Movie Celebration got out of the local museum's basement and got into the nearby Canary Creek theaters where festival attendees could take advantage of the Canary Creek drive-in. You could find me at the drive-in on Saturday night for the bizarre double feature, The Rocky Horror Picture Show and Nomads (yes, the one with Pierce Brosnan and Adam Ant).

For the most part, I'd seen most of the films that I caught at this year's B-Movie Celebration with the exception of the cowboys vs. dinosaurs film The Valley of Gwangi. Along with The Rocky Horror Picture Show, I was thrilled to see The American Astronaut and share it with folks that had never experienced Cory McAbee's masterpiece before.

I didn't sell a lot of books in Franklin but not for lack of trying. I plugged Impossibly Funky a few times during the State of Indie Film Criticism panel and Director's Roundtable, had an interview in the local Metromix (thanks to writer Shawna Kenney), and made an appearance on Film Soceyology on WFYI.

I'd point you over to the B-Movie Celebration website for more information about the festival, the special guests, and other movies that showed but it's pretty inaccurate. So, I'll just say that I had a fun time over the weekend; I met some great people, hung out with friends, had some amazing grub, and certainly have some stories to tell from it all.

A look at the present state of Indy Film criticism; not indie films but the indie folks that review them. This panel of zinesters, bloggers, and podcasters will discuss the fodder they review, the way they deal with their outsider status, the DIY aesthetic, and what motivates them (and leagues of others) to dedicate so much time to the movies.

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

I had a great time on Sunday (September 19) at the Book Beat in Oak Park, MI for the first public event for Impossibly Funky. I had a massive turn-out. Eleven people! And I either knew 10 of them directly or indirectly. Yeah, it was huge. But, in all seriousness, I really had a lot of fun. My host, Cary Loren, really knew his stuff.

Rather than doing a reading (which is what I had in mind that I'd be doing), Cary sat down next to me and just asked me questions about the book and the history behind it, giving me an opportunity to just jaw on about my favorite subject; me. I don't think I made too big of a fool of myself, saw some friends, and sold some books. That's more than I could have hoped for!

Thanks to everyone who made it out. It was kind of a huge deal for me and has managed to put me more at ease about the idea of doing more book events.

Sunday, September 12, 2010

Sunday, September 19th at 2:00 PM, Book Beat will present an impossibly funky afternoon planned with Mike White author and founding editor of Cashiers du Cinmemart. Mike will present his new anthology–which was years in the making, filled with extremely witty and diverse film writings. Impossibly Funky; A Cashiers du Cinemart Collection is a film collection like no other. Readers of this wise and nitty-gritty book will obtain an education of film-land impossible to find anywhere else on the planet. This book is overflowing with insane delights, kooky interviews and blinding revelations of the universe!

Don’t Miss This!! IMPOSSIBLY FUNKY SUNDAY--a once-in-a-lifetime afternoon journey of fully mutated movie discussions and gonzo film appreciation made for the true film maniac, but even the common everyday Hollywood Joe-bystander is welcome and will come away with wild tales and juicy gossip that is truly off-the-map.

Thursday, September 09, 2010

I'm excited to spread the word about Hit & Stay, a documentary on the Catonsville Nine. Judging from the preview on Kickstarter it looks like it's going to be excellent.

I've been intrigued by the Catonsville Nine ever since I saw Lynne Sachs's Investigation of a Flame, a very cursory, talking-head movie that left viewers with more questions than answers. Other than the general gist of the Catonsville Nine, the only thing I remember from her film was the endless shots of flowers. Back in 2001, I wanted to see a far better film about the Catonsville Nine and it looks like Hit & Stay is what I've been hoping for!

Monday, September 06, 2010

I really like the website io9.com. It gives me my daily geek quotient without going overboard with smarmy attitude or bland reports that aren't news to anyone. It's well written and pays homage to classic science fiction. I've gotten a lot of great book recommendations from the site, and even a few good movies, too.

Okay, now that I got that out of the way, there's one thing I really want to kvetch about. It's the article from Jan 6, 2010, "The 20 SF Movies We're Most Excited To See In 2010." Here's the list:

The Book of Eli

The Lovely Bones

Legion

The Wolfman

The Crazies

Hot Tub Time Machine

Repo Men

Kick-Ass

A Nightmare on Elm Street

Iron Man 2

Jonah Hex

Toy Story 3

The Last Airbender

Despicable Me

Predators

Inception

Priest

Red Dawn

Tron: Legacy

Green Hornet

This list really stuck in my craw. I suppose it's that I just didn't share the excitement about many of the films on the list. Heck, I don't even agree that some of them qualify as "Sci-Fi." Now, the definition of a genre these days can be a slippery slope but Toy Story 3... Really?

The list bothers me in part because it shows just how shallow the pool of sci-fi films coming out of Hollywood truly is. I mean...

Let it be noted that Green Hornet and Priest have been pushed back to 2011 while I have yet to really see a firm release date for Red Dawn. But, really, 17, 18, or 20 movies... I gotta ask... is this the best you've got?

It's September 6 and I've seen everything on the list that's come out so far and, really, I'm just not impressed. In fact, some of them were bloody terrible. I'm not even talking about movies that were lambasted such as The Last Airbender and Jonah Hex. I've got A Nightmare on Elm Street, Legion, The Lovely Bones, The Book of Eli, and Iron Man 2 in mind.
Now, I can't blame the list's author, Charlie Jane Anders, for choosing some duds. I've been fooled by previews, casts, and past director performance before. Though, I question some of the choices as being wise (The Crazies?) or even science fiction (A Nightmare on Elm Street? The Green Hornet?). But, more than anything, I'm sad about how slapdash this list is.

The list seems to have been culled from a year-long look at the fare from the major distributors. Didn't the last few years teach us anything? Some of the best sci-fi fare doesn't come from the majors but the independents. District 9? Moon?Time Crimes? Mock Up on Mu? Do any of these ring a bell?

With a little more research this list might have forgone the horror, fantasy or action movies and replaced them with actual science fiction.

Some of these I've seen... most I haven't... but I'd much rather take a chance on them than the kind of crap that's been junking up the multiplex all year:

Thursday, September 02, 2010

If you want to see The People Vs. George Lucas in your home town, stop grousing about it and demand it!

Like other quasi-grassroots campaigns (Paranormal Activity, anyone?), the good folks behind The People Vs. George Lucas are working to gauge interest in the USA (and the world) with this handy dandy polling widget where people can enter their email address, country, and ZIP code to vote that the film come to their neck of the woods.

So, please, take a few minutes to request that The People Vs. George Lucas comes to your town (and then see it, when it does)! You're not going to get many other chance to see my beautiful mug on the big screen.